GAO Reports

Report raises concerns about Iraqi reconstruction
by Barbara Slavin, USA TODAY, July 31, 2005

The United States risks having "little to show for billions" of dollars spent on Iraqi reconstruction because of rising security costs and mismanagement, a new report said Sunday. [...]

Bowen was appointed to monitor $18.4 billion allocated for Iraqi reconstruction in 2004. Overall, $24 billion has been approved and $9 billion spent since 2003, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress' watchdog agency.

According to a report issued Thursday by the GAO, security costs are consuming more than a third of reconstruction funds. The report said that 330 private contractors, many of them working for security companies, had been killed.

Reports:

PDF - Rebuilding Iraq: Status of Funding and Reconstruction Efforts GAO-05-876, July 28, 2005

PDF- Rebuilding Iraq: Actions Needed To Improve Use of Private Security Providers GAO-05-737, July 28, 2005

Related:

PDF - Afghanistan Reconstruction: Despite Some Progress, Deteriorating Security and Other Obstacles Continue to Threaten Achievement of U.S. Goals GAO-05-742, July 28, 2005